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“Incoming vessels, this is Presna Colonial Space Authority, please identify.”

Even as Tony sent the message, the beeping sound from the main control console grew more insistent.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” he said aloud to the machine, though it was not equipped to listen to him.

“Enkush, what are we reading?” he called out.

“No response yet,” the other man replied.  “But they look like supply transports.”

“About damn time,” Tony muttered.

The tone turned again, to an even more annoying warble, indicating the ships were now within the outermost zone of the colony’s territory.

And his damn HUD was taking forever to boot back up.

Dark, he’d just turned off his HUD while he was in the bathroom.

The damn water purifiers were acting up again, and whatever it was that kept leaking in was making him piss like a race horse.  The doctor said it wasn’t harmful, but it was still annoying as all hell.

“Just replenish your electrolytes,” he mocked aloud as he sank back into his seat at the console.

“Supply ships, please send your clearance codes,” he sent.

He saw that the automated system had already queried them, but had still gotten no response.

Maybe the supply ships were having just as many problems as the Presna colony.  Seemed a day couldn’t go by without another thing malfunctioning in some minor, annoying way.

“Incoming vessels, please respond,” he sent after a few moments.

The automated system’s alarm changed again.  This time it was not just alert, but a warning.

“What the hell-?”

The laser defense grid was activating, targeting the incoming ships!  That was definitely not right!

“Override!” he ordered the system.

“Incoming targets approaching defense perimeter,” the computer told him.  “Unauthorized vessels are potential threat.”

“They’re just supply ships!” he told the system.

The computer mulled that.  It put the lasers into standby, but did not power them down and continued to target the incoming ships.

He heard footsteps running out in the hall, approaching.

“Tony!” he heard Sheila panting as she slid into the room.  “I got the alarm, what the hell is going on?”

“Just the six-month supply ships,” he told her.  “But the laser defense grid’s trying to target them!”

He saw the blood drain from Sheila’s face.  “The supply ships are still a week out.  Those ships aren’t ours.”

Tony felt his jaw drop.

“Radar’s picking up missile launches!” he heard Batjargal yell, sending a general alarm.  “We’re under attack!  Get the lasers back on!”

Refocusing his eyes back to the controls in his HUD, he was about to give the system permission to fire, when it went black.

No, no, no.

Nothing seemed to work right on this blasted colony, but there was no pisscutting way the entire laser grid went down, and no way those missiles had hit yet, they were still ten minutes out!

“Reboot the system!” he ordered.  Nothing happened.

“Computer, what’s the status of orbital defense grid?” he demanded.

“Pinging orbital defense grid . . .  Pinging . . .  Response found.  Multiple erro-”  The sound gave out, turning to a horrible static and screeching.

He screamed, pulling his earbuds out.

Looking to Sheila, his jaw still open, he saw his terror mirrored on her face.

“The main computer system just got corrupted,” she said softly.  “We’re sitting ducks.”

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